The present invention relates to shelving systems, and especially to an adjustable bracket for a shelving system.
Wire frame shelving systems are well known in the art and are often used in commercial and other heavy-duty applications. Such shelving systems typically comprise a plurality of vertically spaced-apart shelves that are supported on posts or other vertical supports positioned at the corners of the shelves. The shelving system requires at least two shelves, one positioned near the top of the posts and the other near the bottom, thereby creating a box-like structure that provides stability and rigidity to the shelving system. Additional intermediate shelves are spaced between the top and bottom shelves.
The corners of the shelves are provided with ring-shaped connectors or collars that have frustoconical inner surfaces to receive the support posts. A series of horizontal grooves are formed along the length of each post to receive the interior rib of a tapered sleeve that is placed between the post and the corner shelf collars at a desired height to support the bottom and top shelves. To secure a shelf to the posts, a sleeve is placed at the same height along each of the posts with the interior sleeve rib engaged in a horizontal groove. The shelf is then lowered over the posts so that the corner collars slide down over the sleeves. The corner shelf collars squeeze the sleeves around the posts so that the interior rib of each sleeve tightly engages the support post, holding the shelf firmly in place.
Individual shelves are removed from the shelving system by lifting the shelf off the posts. However, an intermediate shelf cannot be removed from the shelving system without removing other shelves located above the shelf. A user must thus first remove the top shelf and any shelves disposed between the top shelf and the intermediate shelf that is desired to be removed before the intermediate shelf can be lifted off the posts. In addition to the extra work involved, removing the top shelf and possibly other shelves may also cause the shelving system to become unstable, particularly when the remaining shelves are still loaded with heavy items.
The inability to separately remove an intermediate shelf also makes it difficult to adjust its position. Once the sleeves are removed, the shelf must be manually supported in the shelving system while the sleeves are repositioned on the posts. Consequently, adjusting the position of a shelf can be an awkward, difficult operation that often requires two people to accomplish.
Accordingly, there is a need for a wire frame shelving system that provides for convenient removal and adjustment of intermediate shelves.